By Ronia Linton, senior, Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School, Chicago
Father John Augustus Tolton was born on April 1, 1854, in Brush Creek, Missouri. At the beginning of his life, he had many odds stacked against him, including starting his life without his God-given rights of freedom and equality.
Augustus was a slave of a white Catholic family during the Civil War. His father, Peter Paul Tolton, escaped slavery to join the Union Army while his mother, Martha, remained under the control of her owners. Augustus was raised in the Roman Catholic Church, and his mother was baptized as Catholic because her owners were of the Catholic faith. Despite everything that he experienced in his life, Augustus still had the love of Jesus Christ in his heart. In 1863, his family escaped slavery by fearlessly crossing the Mississippi River into Illinois. When they reached freedom, his mother told him, “You’re free. Never forget the goodness of the Lord.” Augustus took his mother‘s advice and never forgot God‘s goodness, grace and mercy.
Even though racial conflict was a huge part of Tolton’s life, he always remained devoted to serving the Catholic Church. Augustus received the support of Father Peter McGirr to attend Saint Peter’s Catholic School, which was then an all-white school in Quincy, Illinois. While attending the school, Augustus prepared for his first Holy Communion. He then went to graduate from high school and Quincy College. After college, Augustus began his studies for the priesthood in Rome in 1880. Many of his teachers and professors mentioned how he was an excellent student because everything he did was to glorify God. Augustus learned to speak fluent German, Latin, Italian, Greek and African dialects in addition to his native English. He was also a talented musician with a beautiful voice.
In 1886, Augustus completed six years of study in the seminary and was ordained to the priesthood in Rome at the age of 31. He had expected to serve as a missionary in Africa, but he was directed to return to the United States to serve the Black Catholic community. Father Augustus Tolton then became the first Black American priest in the United States. He said his first public Mass at Saint Boniface Church in Quincy, Illinois. He then became pastor of Saint Joseph Catholic Church and School. During his time at Saint Joseph, Father Augustus experienced racism, which then led him to a reassignment to Chicago to fulfill his calling to serve God. There he founded St. Monica’s Church, the mother church of the Black Catholic community in the Archdiocese of Chicago. His time in Chicago was spent serving the poor and sick, feeding the hungry and winning souls for God.
In 1897, Father John Augustus Tolton died unexpectedly at the young age of 43 while on retreat, yet he left a legacy that will live forevermore. In memory of Father Tolton, a Father Tolton Regional Catholic High School was built in Columbia, Missouri, where they live by and through his motto: “Follow not the well-worn path. Go instead, where there is no path, and blaze a trail.”
I find it most inspiring that throughout Father Tolton’s life, through all his trials and tribulations, he never let them prevent him from growing strong in his faith in God. Although he died at a young age, he accomplished all he intended through God. I find it inspiring that he took his mother’s words to heart and made it a daily affirmation. During his life, he not only served as a spiritual leader but also as a role model for resilience, inclusion and compassion in the fight for racial equality and justice. Father Tolton teaches us the power of unwavering faith, perseverance and the importance of building inclusive communities that uplift everyone, regardless of race or background. These are all qualities and characteristics I strive to emulate in my own life, especially as a student at a Mercy institution. Recognizing Black Catholics as saints today highlights their faith and resilience, offering inspiration and justice amid historical racism, while fostering inclusion and representation in the Church.